Daily Readings - Thu Aug 15 2019

¹⁹Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a great hailstorm.

Chapter 12

¹A great and wondrous sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head.²She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth.³Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads.⁴His tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child the moment it was born.⁵She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter. And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne.⁶The woman fled into the desert to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.¹⁰Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: "Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.

1 Corinthians

Chapter 15

²⁰But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.²¹For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man.²²For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.²³But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.²⁴Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power.²⁵For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.²⁶The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

Luke

Chapter 1

³⁹At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea,⁴⁰where she entered Zechariah's home and greeted Elizabeth.⁴¹When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.⁴²In a loud voice she exclaimed: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!⁴³But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?⁴⁴As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.⁴⁵Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!"⁴⁶And Mary said: "My soul glorifies the Lord⁴⁷and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,⁴⁸for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed,⁴⁹for the Mighty One has done great things for me--holy is his name.⁵⁰His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.⁵¹He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.⁵²He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble.⁵³He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.⁵⁴He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful⁵⁵to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers."⁵⁶Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.

Sermon

In today’s readings, we encounter powerful imagery and profound theological truths that invite us to reflect on God’s plan of salvation and our place within it. The First Reading from Revelation presents a dramatic vision of a woman, symbolizing the Church, giving birth to a male child destined to rule the nations. This child is caught up to God, while the woman flees to a place prepared for her. The passage is rich in apocalyptic symbolism, depicting the cosmic struggle between good and evil, with God’s ultimate triumph over the forces of darkness. The Second Reading from 1 Corinthians shifts our focus to the resurrection of Christ, the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep. Paul emphasizes that just as death came through Adam, so too has the resurrection come through Christ. This reading reminds us that our faith is rooted in the hope of eternal life, and that Christ’s victory over death is the foundation of our Christian identity. The Gospel from Luke, often referred to as the Visitation, shows us Mary, filled with joy and faith, visiting her cousin Elizabeth. Elizabeth, too, is filled with the Holy Spirit, and both women celebrate the miraculous pregnancies that will bring John the Baptist and Jesus into the world. Mary’s Magnificat, a hymn of praise, underscores the themes of humility, mercy, and God’s fidelity to his people. These readings are deeply interconnected. The apocalyptic vision in Revelation, the theological reflection in Corinthians, and the joyful encounter in Luke all point to the same reality: God’s plan of salvation is unfolding in history, and we are called to participate in it with faith and hope. In our daily lives, we are invited to trust in God’s providence, even in the face of challenges and uncertainties. Like Mary, we can respond to God’s call with humility and joy, recognizing that he is always at work in our lives. Let us allow the Holy Spirit to fill us, as he filled Elizabeth, and let us magnify the Lord, as Mary did, with hearts full of gratitude and praise. In doing so, we become part of the great story of salvation, living as children of God in a world that so desperately needs his love and light.